the need for art in my life

Had a huge revelation recently, one that I've had before and had just forgotten -the need for art in my life.

When I moved to Marin, for a variety of reasons, I stopped making jewelry... The funny thing is that Metalsmithing or jewelry-making was what at one time I felt was my true passion, perhaps it still is and I've just lost touch. Or it could also be that jewelry or crafting or creating art in general is for me a meditation. Art takes me to a different place and with jewelry especially - it always fascinated me to see the creations that would take shape before my very eyes, sometimes unexpectedly - I wonder if every artist feels this way?

Tonight, I took a first step - contacting my former jewelry instructor - Adam Clark, a genius that inspired me beyond belief. His creations bewilder the mind..in a good way. And because of him, I too was able to create pieces that bewildered and delighted (me at least)...my favorite being a pinwheel ring that actually spins when you blow it and of course my famous succulent collection. I need to dig up or take new pics so I can share.

I'm excited to get back to art, whether its jewelry or not or even glass etching that I love so much - it has been missing in my life and will no doubt enrich it again.

What place does art hold in your life? Do you like to behold and enjoy art for art's sake or do you get lost in the process of creation?

why glass etching is one of the best crafts invented

I love crafting, and i love the idea of personalized gifts. glass etching has always been one of my favorite crafts because its so easy yet the results are classy, pretty, cool and can be personalized in many ways. One of my favorite gifts to give is glass-wear with a person's initials - i think guys seem to like this gift maybe more than women - for a woman i might add flowers, bamboo or any number of pretty adornments.

the results are subtle yet really beautiful. I've also experimented with different colors of glass which also provide a neat effect - light blue in particular

To start you'll want to buy some glass etching cream..I've found Armour Etch to be the best leaving the nicest finish , but there are many brands out there that you can try - even leaving different finishes such as silver or gold glitter varieties from "Plaid" But I think simple is better and have found those to not leave as great an imprint as the Armour Etch.

Next you'll want to get a stencil, or other type of sticky design maker - masking tape works great for lines, hole punch protectors work great for polka dots, and there are all kinds of specially made stencils just for glass etching which are re-usable as opposed to a sticker which is only good for one use. For my project I used these alphabet stickers - using their outline as a stencil.


Next just place the stencil on the glass where you want your design - remember it is the hollow of the design that you'll want to etch or inside.

Then just take a brush and fill in the space left by the stencil - leave on for 10 minutes and remove the stencil - and voilà - you're left with a beautiful personalized gift.

These glasses are a present for a friend with the initials N.F. - let's hope he likes them.